23 ms·

A/C was considered absolutely critical in making Singapore's economy flourish, at least according to Singapore's ex prime minister: http://www.digitalnpq.org/ar

A/C was considered absolutely critical in making Singapore's economy flourish, at least according to Singapore's ex prime minister: http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2009_fall_2010_winter/16_yew.html http://www.digitalnpq.org/archive/2009_fall_2010_winter/16_y... Lee | Air conditioning. Air conditioning was a most important invention for us, perhaps one of the signal inventions of history. It changed the nature of civilization by making development possible in the tropics. Without air conditioning you can work only in the cool early-morning hours or at dusk. The first thing I did upon becoming prime minister was to install air conditioners in buildings where the civil service worked. This was key to public efficiency.

gramanat 8y ago
Well, Most of the govt offices in India do not have A/C even today. The have fans all over. I guess, the A/C became essential partly because of how we construct buildings - which trap all the heat.
kajecounterhack 8y ago
FWIW this was quoted in the article itself.
- tim333 8y ago
  Also the cover photo I think is taken in Singapore on the service road behind Boat Quay about here https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@1.2868298,103.8492369,3a,75y,89.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3v8D2Pk6bUii5qMYDimJyQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@1.2868298,103.8492369,3a,75y,... (though I couldn't get it exactly right on streetview)
Spooky23 8y ago
Someone should tell that to US government. The first internship that i had in a (state) government office would do early dismissal when the inside temp was over 90 degrees for 2 hours. It was a miserable experience.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 8y ago
  I'm 100% certain that this is not the norm. However, there is good precedent for being more conservative with the AC than most Americans are. In at least one major European country, that is actually the law: new office buildings cannot have traditional AC.
  - gsich 8y ago
    Probably because most European buildings don't heat up that much. In the US there seems to be a likeness for no-insulation and paperthin walls.
    - sgc 8y ago
      That's naive. Modern building code in the US is pretty/very heavy on energy efficiency. And of course European buildings heat up.
      - dzhiurgis 8y ago
        All new buildings in EU now have to be A+ energy efficient meaning it’s nearly self sufficient - heats up from human heat and air-to-air heat pump.
        sgc 8y ago
        So, basically the same legislation as what California had implemented a few years before the EU.
    - carlmr 8y ago
      I'm not sure if the country mentioned above is Germany, but well in Germany I've been in many (small and large) corporate offices without AC. It just gets hot in summer. I honestly find working to be harder in that environment. German summers are traditionally not that long, but still it's two months of lower productivity. There is one benefit though, shorts and sandals is accepted as office clothing.
ixf 8y ago
This topic is also the theme of a rather good collection of essays on Singapore's politics by Cherian George - there's some available online here https://www.airconditionednation.com/ https://www.airconditionednation.com/
stevekemp 8y ago
This is a good, related, read "How air conditioning changed the world": https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39735802 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39735802

gramanat 8y ago

Well, Most of the govt offices in India do not have A/C even today. The have fans all over. I guess, the A/C became essential partly because of how we construct buildings - which trap all the heat.

kajecounterhack 8y ago

FWIW this was quoted in the article itself.

tim333 8y ago
Also the cover photo I think is taken in Singapore on the service road behind Boat Quay about here https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@1.2868298,103.8492369,3a,75y,89.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3v8D2Pk6bUii5qMYDimJyQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@1.2868298,103.8492369,3a,75y,... (though I couldn't get it exactly right on streetview)

Spooky23 8y ago

Someone should tell that to US government. The first internship that i had in a (state) government office would do early dismissal when the inside temp was over 90 degrees for 2 hours. It was a miserable experience.

asdfasgasdgasdg 8y ago
I'm 100% certain that this is not the norm. However, there is good precedent for being more conservative with the AC than most Americans are. In at least one major European country, that is actually the law: new office buildings cannot have traditional AC.
- gsich 8y ago
  Probably because most European buildings don't heat up that much. In the US there seems to be a likeness for no-insulation and paperthin walls.
  - sgc 8y ago
    That's naive. Modern building code in the US is pretty/very heavy on energy efficiency. And of course European buildings heat up.
    - dzhiurgis 8y ago
      All new buildings in EU now have to be A+ energy efficient meaning it’s nearly self sufficient - heats up from human heat and air-to-air heat pump.
      - sgc 8y ago
        So, basically the same legislation as what California had implemented a few years before the EU.
  - carlmr 8y ago
    I'm not sure if the country mentioned above is Germany, but well in Germany I've been in many (small and large) corporate offices without AC. It just gets hot in summer. I honestly find working to be harder in that environment. German summers are traditionally not that long, but still it's two months of lower productivity. There is one benefit though, shorts and sandals is accepted as office clothing.

ixf 8y ago

This topic is also the theme of a rather good collection of essays on Singapore's politics by Cherian George - there's some available online here https://www.airconditionednation.com/ https://www.airconditionednation.com/

stevekemp 8y ago

This is a good, related, read "How air conditioning changed the world": https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39735802 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-39735802